On a rainy Friday in Taipei, Taiwan made history becoming the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage after the island’s legislature passed a bill granting LGBT+ couples equal marriage rights.

The historical decision came nearly two years after Taiwan’s constitutional court handed down a landmark ruling that said it was unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage.

Over 40,000 supporters gathered in the capital outside the legislature since the early hours, according to the rally’s organiser, many of them taking overnight buses from other parts of Taiwan to join the demonstration.

ShapeCreated with Sketch.Taiwan Same Sex Marriage

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Same-sex marriage supporters celebrate after Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan

Reuters

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Same-sex marriage supporters hold umbrellas and rainbow flags as they take part in a rally during a parliament vote on three different draft bills of a same-sex marriage law, outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan

Reuters

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A couple kisses as they celebrate after Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan

Reuters

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Supporters of same-sex marriage celebrate as they gather outside the parliament building as a bill for marriage equality is debated by parliamentarians in Taipei, Taiwan

EPA

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Supporters of same-sex marriage celebrate as they gather outside the parliament building as a bill for marriage equality is debated by parliamentarians in Taipei, Taiwan

EPA

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People celebrate after Taiwan’s parliament voted to legalise same-sex marriage

Getty

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People celebrate after Taiwan’s parliament voted to legalise same-sex marriage

Getty

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People celebrate after Taiwan’s parliament voted to legalise same-sex marriage on May 17, 2019 in Taipei, Taiwan

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Same-sex marriage supporters celebrate after Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan

Reuters

4/10

Same-sex marriage supporters hold umbrellas and rainbow flags as they take part in a rally during a parliament vote on three different draft bills of a same-sex marriage law, outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan

Reuters

5/10

A couple kisses as they celebrate after Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan

Reuters

6/10

Supporters of same-sex marriage celebrate as they gather outside the parliament building as a bill for marriage equality is debated by parliamentarians in Taipei, Taiwan

EPA

7/10

Supporters of same-sex marriage celebrate as they gather outside the parliament building as a bill for marriage equality is debated by parliamentarians in Taipei, Taiwan

EPA

8/10

People celebrate after Taiwan’s parliament voted to legalise same-sex marriage

Getty

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People celebrate after Taiwan’s parliament voted to legalise same-sex marriage

Getty

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People celebrate after Taiwan’s parliament voted to legalise same-sex marriage on May 17, 2019 in Taipei, Taiwan

Getty

“Today is the day that Taiwan legalises same-sex marriage, and from now on, we will never forget May 17.”

Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen, who campaigned heavily on the platform of marriage equality in 2015, wrote on Twitter: “We took a big step towards true equality, and made Taiwan a better country.”

Among the crowds were Lily and Amy, who both took the day off from work in order to witness this change in history.

For them, Taiwan is a comfortable society that is generally inclusive, but last November’s referendum result forced them to re-evaluate the way they present themselves as a lesbian couple in Taiwan.

After the constitutional court ruling, opponents of same-sex marriage initiated three referendums in November last year, with over 7.6 million Taiwanese people voting in favour of defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

“No one has ever really given us a hard time for being an lesbian couple in public, and it made us think that Taiwanese society really doesn’t judge us for loving who we love,” Amy told the Independent.

(Getty )

“But the referendum result made us realise that we might have actually been judged by most of the people in Taiwan all along.”

With same-sex marriage now legalised, it has helped restore their faith in Taiwan.

“We’ve always had plans to get married, but we were never dare to start planning after the referendum defeat.”

“Now we can rest assured that the government is on our side,” said Lily, who asked just her first name be used.

For Aurelien Jegou, a French filmmaker living in Taiwan, the bills strengthens his belief that Taiwan remains one of the few places where he will never feel threatened as a gay man.

“Even though same-sex marriage has been legalised in France for many years, I always feel a bit insecure when I’m walking down the street while holding my boyfriend’s hand,” Jegou described.

“But I never felt this way in Taiwan, even when same-sex marriage hadn’t been legalised.”

“I’m very glad I could now marry my boyfriend if I want to,

“It’s a confirmation of what I’ve already felt about Taiwan, the sense of freedom.”

(EPA)

But for Chi Chia-wei, an iconic Taiwanese gay rights activist who has been campaigning for marriage equality since 1986, the current bill still fails to address the issue of transnational marriage and second parent adoption.

“We are forced to accept a compromised version of same-sex marriage bill,” Chi explains.

“I believe in three to five years, Taiwan will be ready to grant full marriage right to its LGBT+ citizens.”

Victoria Hsu, whose team represented Chi in a lawsuit that led to the constitutional court ruling, hopes the new bill will mean activists can now “focus on improving other aspects of LGBT+ rights.”

Yet despite its limitations, Jay Lin, also at the event, is celebrating the chance to start planning a real future with his partner and two sons.

“This isn’t a perfect bill, but today gives me faith that we will get there and that we will continue to take gigantic steps towards building a better society.”